Lorcán Mac Mathúna [lur-cawn mock mo-hoona] on vocals (that'd be me).
Ooh look; I have a website as well: www.lorcanmacmathuna.com - My website. it’s really quite good actually
All sorts of things that can vibrate or bang. Whistles, fiddles - giant, big, and average sized ones- and pianos and percusiony things -I'm mad for them right now. And big wild wind contraptions like uillean pipes -and I'd love to try an Organ or something like that. or, ooh ooh, maybe even some sort of natural giant chasm where the topographical contours distort and magnify sound and do all sorts of insanely weirdly interesting things to it. -any suggestions?
I'll sing away with the people who play them that is
If you want to buy the CD it is available through the online stores www.cdworld.ie(Ireland), and www.cdbaby.com (The US). Tracks can also be purchased individually on ITunes.
CDWorld
CDBaby
ITunes
Don't know who these blokes and lassies are who turn up on the end of this widgitumy thingumyyoke -a lucky bag sort of thing so to speak.
Influences
Darach Ó Catháin, Tony Mac Mahon, Mo Mhuintir Fhéin -ah bless them, Diarmuidín Ó Súilleabhán, Iarflaith Ó Lionáird, Caoimhín Ó Raghaille, Antaine Ó Farracháin, Bethoven. All of these people have a very personal and individualistic style of their own and this gives their music essence and depth. There are plenty more of course so maybe I'll just name one: I heard Tommy Potts recently and all I can say is "the Shhtuff was in him"
here's a non music related link -should we have a referendum on the next EU treaty
Sounds Like
Iarflaith Ó Lionard -sort of. He’s the only person I can think of who takes something like the approach I did, but that's a sort of tenuous comparison. -sorry
If you want to get an idea of what my music sounds like look at some of the players of traditional slow air players like Tony Mac Mahon or Séamus Ennis. Many Traditional musicians who play slow airs say they learned it from the singing of traditional unaccompanied singers, so imagine some of these masters of slow airs playing along to the singers they learned the airs from. .-or else you could just listen to some of the samples right here on this here page. -simple eh!
And then I like the odd quick one as well. -I don't mean the shout along you hear at closing time in the pub. You'd get a load of th'wans I mean on Diarmuidín Ó Súileabhán's Bruach Na Carraige Bána. They've great old potential for all round good craic.
Tásc is Tuairisc.
This is a descriptive piece I wrote with Simon O'Connor for Piano voice and fiddle. It had its premier at the Axis Theatre on October 24th during the Borradh Buan festival.
The title means Account and Death Notice, it is a descriptive piece charting the personal story of a ships hand on the disastrous Franklin Polar expedition. An ordeal from which not one of the 129 members survived and where some of the crew resorted to cannibalism as a last resort. I am the author of the words and wrote the vocal melodies. Simon O'Connor composed the origional piece for piano which he based on Schubert's Die Winterreise and called Winteriser. It is performed by myself, Daire Ó Breacáin, and Paul G. Smyth.
As you might imagine it is quite dark and tense and it is a single piece of music but we needed to cut it into four parts to fit it on youtube.
Part 1 - setting forth
Part 2 - An Mhuir Iarain-Liath (the iron grey sea)
Part 3 - An Oíche Fhada (The Long Night)
Part 4 - An Gheis ba Bhunúsaigh (Cannibalism; The final taboo)
My music comes from an unaccompanied singing tradition. In this style of singing the singer carries the entire melodic line of the song in his or her voice. It is a challenging task and a hard one to achieve with satisfactory control over the melody of the tune. I have diversified from this tradition a little by adding musical arrangements to the vocal melody.
Using the basic melody of these traditional songs as the foundation of our music we (that'd be me and people who play with me by the way) have put complimentary arrangements together which don’t undermine or distort the melodic structure of the music of this tradition.
"Well good for you, give yourself a slap on the back" I hear you say, but it's not as easy to do as it sounds. It may sound like a piece of cake (especially to a traditional musician who plays by ear) to play a tune you hear someone else playing, but don't be tricked, it's a trickier trick than it sounds. Because the music of this tradition doesn't fit easily into classical western musical conventions you can't just apply standard accompanying formulas. It's a bit different alright because it comes from a source that developed along different lines to classic western styles. But sure isn't it great to have an auld change all the same.
Anyway I am happy to say with a little pride, that what we have developed is innovative and very pleasing on the ear. So good man myself! -not ommitting my able conspirators listed on my album sleeve. Good men (men in the collective sense of the human race of course, the female persuasion have not been overlooked) yourselves as well.
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“There’s a weird sensation caused by Lorcán’s double-tracking some passages from the text of the eerie 18th century elegy Tuireamh Mhic Finín Dhuibh, only accentuatin the sheer other-worldly nature of its melody line, which is at once epic and highly disorientating… it sounds truly extraordinary… personally I’ve found this one of the most captivating discs of sean-nós singing I’ve encountered in recent years.”
David Kidman - The Living Tradition
“Spine-tingling
3Roots magazine CD roundup -who gave it a thumbs up
It seems I have encountered for the first time an album with a feel of sean-nós that is so full of love of songs and that is at the same time so originally and deftly arranged. At any rate, there are a good many of songs that will keep you fascinated so that you might find yourself listening to them over and over again.
Mícheál - Tigh Mhicil, Irish cultural blog
“He delves so deeply beneath Saileog Rua that he scarcely remembers to come up for air, his voice creaking and groaning with the weight of one long-immersed in the spirit of the song.”
Siobhán Long - the Irish Times
“Have a listen to a master at work.” Allcelticmusic.com
“I will be listening to this CD again, and perhaps changing my mind about this song or that, and I am certainly looking forward to hearing Lorcán Mac Mathúna again, singing with all the unwavering commitment of his best work.”
Barra Ó Séaghdha - The JMI
“…But the cold vanished instantly with the opening song, Tuirimh Mhic Fhinín Dhubh. Mac Mathúna’s performance of this unusual eighteenth-century song was commanding. A young man with a Dublin accent and a musical heart based deep in Múscraí, Mac Mathúna has, on this evidence, both the voice and the attitude to place him in the first rank of the new wave of traditional singers.”
Pat Ahern - The Journal of Music in Ireland
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Would you believe I lashed in a load of immages from the new CD in here as well
I'll be distributing it through CDWorld and Claddagh records in Ireland and through CDBaby in America if you want to buy it. it will be out in August.
This you have got to see
and once you have seen it you have got to try it
A bloke called Nic Gareiss
Clip from concert in Birr theatre: It's a Lament called Caoineadh na dTrí Mhuire, an Easter hymn - very nice with the piano and all
REALLY IMPRESSIVE! IT'S A HONOUR TO BECOME YOUR FRIEND! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, WARM RESPECT, ALIAS GUITAR - FLAMENCO - WORLD- ACOUSTIC RETURNING HOME (LIVE) ON IMRADIO ONLY
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
It's easy.
All you need is love
All you need is love,
All you need is love.
Love is all you need.
All you need is love
All you need is love,
All you need is love.
Love is all you need.
There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.
